Latest news – Page 1141
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NewsMore funding for Strategic Freight Network
UK: The government announced the allocation of an extra £55m 'to further expand the Strategic Rail Freight Network' in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement on November 29. This will fund works including doubling of 7 km of single track between Soham and Ely, the most restrictive bottleneck on ...
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NewsEIB signs €130m LGV Est loan agreement
FRANCE: The European Investment Bank signed the first €40m instalment of a €130m long-term loan for the construction of the second phase of LGV Est-Européenne on December 5. The agreement will cover the Alsace region's contribution to the €2·1bn project. EIB said the loan was drawn up on 'the best ...
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NewsNorthern Sydney freight upgrade agreed
AUSTRALIA: A long-planned A$1·1bn package of enhancements to accommodate more freight on the main line between Sydney and Newcastle has been formally approved. Federal Infrastructure & Transport Minister Anthony Albanese joined NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell at Hornsby station on December 7 to launch the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Upgrading. This ...
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NewsPolish high speed rail project cancelled
POLAND: Cancellation of the plan to build a Y-shaped high speed line was announced by Slawomir Nowak, Minister of Transport, Construction & Maritime Economy, on December 7. The EU is Poland's main source of funding for rail projects, but the country had been told it could only count on support ...
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NewsNews in Brief
The Finnish government has awarded national passenger operator VR a four-year contract worth €170m to operate unprofitable but socially desirable rural and overnight services. Sahaviriya Steel Industries has awarded GB Railfreight a 10-year contract to operate and maintain the 70 km internal railway system at Lackenby steelworks in ...
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NewsQatar railway project restructured
QATAR: The organisations responsible for developing rail transport in the emirate have been restructured, with the aim of shortening decision making processes. Planning is underway for a passenger rail network as well as a metro which would connect central Doha with the airport and football stadia which will host ...
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NewsTfL expects £250m saving from buying Docklands Light Railway PFI concessionaires
UK: Transport for London is to take over two companies which hold private finance initiative contracts to finance, build and maintain extensions to the Docklands Light Railway network. Announcing the deals on November 25, TfL said current market conditions and the 'unique circumstances of TfL's ability to raise finance' mean ...
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NewsVeolia ready to exit transport sector
FRANCE: Veolia Environnement has confirmed its intention to sell its share of Veolia Transdev as part of a programme to reduce its debts, which will see the sale of €5bn of assets over the next two years. At an Investor Day held in Paris on December 6, Veolia Environnement Chairman ...
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NewsAlabacete - Alacant signalling PPP
SPAIN: The Ministry of Development has awarded a PPP contract worth €280·8m covering the supply and maintenance over 20 years of signalling and telecommunications equipment for the Alabacete - Alacant section of the high speed line between Madrid and Alacant. The winning consortium is formed by Isolux Ingeniería (25%), EMTE ...
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NewsWindhoff to build Network Rail's electrification factory train
UK: Network Rail has signed a contract for Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik to build a £35m custom-designed 'factory train' which will enable the rapid installation of overhead electrification. Announcing the contract on December 2, the infrastructure manager said the 23-vehicle High Output Plant System 'will revolutionise how railway lines are ...
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NewsTitanium line lease
SENEGAL: The TiZir Ltd joint venture of Eramet and Mineral Deposits Ltd is to upgrade an existing rail line in Senegal and build a 22 km spur to serve its US$516m Grande Côte Mineral Sands project on the coast north of Dakar. TiZir will build the spur from its future ...
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NewsNews in Brief
Veolia took over from SJ as operator of the Berlin – Malmö Berlin Night Express service when it was suspended for the winter season on November 5. SJ said the April to November service faced high track access and electricity charges in Germany, while low demand for charter trains meant ...
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NewsDelhi regional express planned
INDIA: Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has given approval in principle for a Regional Rapid Transit System in the National Capital Region surrounding Delhi. Due to be integrated with the Delhi Metro, RRTS will serve the Delhi - Gurgaon - Alwar, Delhi - Sonepat - Panipat and Delhi - Ghaziabad ...
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NewsAlmaty metro opens and Phase 2 funded
KAZAKHSTAN: President Nursultan Nazarbayev opened the first section of the Almaty metro on December 1, and the Ministry of Transport & Communications has announced that funding has been secured to construct the second phase. The 8·5 km Phase 1 from Alatau to Rayimbeka has seven stations. Phase 2 will extend ...
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NewsSpeaking your language
INFORMATION: A computer module which can be attached to passenger information systems to give text-to-speech capabilities in an extensive range of languages is offered by US firm TextSpeak. The devices are intended for installation wherever a multi-language capability is required, and can play preset messages or real-time messages generated by ...
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NewsHS1 open to Eurotunnel
UK: Eurotunnel announced on December 1 that its Europorte Channel subsidiary had been granted approval to operate its fleet of Class 92 locomotives on High Speed 1. Driver training is now in progress with the expectation that commercial freight services will be launched early in 2012. Europorte Channel currently operates ...
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NewsFGC plans metre to standard conversion
SPAIN: Catalan regional operator FGC is to take forward design studies for converting its metre-gauge Manresa - Martorell route to dual 1000 mm/1435 mm gauge, following the signature of an agreement with Iberpotash SA. At Martorell, 1435 mm gauge freight trains would join the Mediterranean Corridor, one of the 10 ...
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NewsVTG doubles North American fleet
USA: Wagon leasing company VTG announced on December 1 that it has doubled the size of its North American fleet following the acquisition of SC Rail Leasing America Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed. Formerly a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corp of America, SCRL owns over 2 000 wagons, primarily used ...
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NewsRussian Railways looks lean
RUSSIA: Alstom Transport is to provide Russian Railways specialists with training in the implementation of lean manufacturing technology under a memorandum of co-operation which was signed during the Second Railway Congress in Moscow on November 19. Alstom and RZD are planning joint engineering centres for the development and implementation of ...
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News
Adam Baker
Adam Baker has joined the Railway Gazette Group editorial team as Assistant Editor, Urban Rail; he will work across our portfolio including Railway Gazette International, Metro Report International, and www.railwaygazette.com. Educated in Norfolk, Adam has worked across a variety of business magazines and newspapers, including Meat Trades Journal.